Antirattler for swingletrees.



No. 888,183. -PATENTED MAY 19, 1908. W. MEHN.

ANTIRA T ER FOB. SWINGLETREBS.

APP TION FILED SEPT. 10, 1907.

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7 W J z 'D L I I WILLIAM MEHN, OF CORYDON, KENTUCKY.

ANTIRA'ITLER FOR SWINGLETREES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application filed September 10, 1907. Serial No. 392,134.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MEHN, a citi zen of the United States,residing at Corydon, in the county of Henderson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Antirattler for Swingletrees, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in anti-rattlers for swingletrces.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of anti-rattler devices for swingletrees, and to provide a simple, strong and durable device, designed for use on various kinds of one horse vehicles, and adapted to permit the whiffletree to be screwed tightly against the cross bar of a pair of shafts, and capable, as the hearing or wear plates become worn, of automatically taking up the wear and of holding the swingletree firmly against the cross bar, whereby the swingletree is prevented from rattling.

WVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to with out departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:Figure 1 is a plan view of an anti-rattler, constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to a swin letree. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectiona l view, taken longitudinally of the swingletree. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the anti-rattler spring. Fig. 5 is a detail view of one of the keepers for the ends of the spring.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

1 designates a swingletree, pivotally mounted in the usual manner on the u per face of a cross bar 2 by means of a bo t 3, which pierces the swingletree and the cross bar, suitable wear or bearing plates 1 and 5 being interposed between the swingletreeand the cross bar. These wear or hearing plates, which may be of any preferred construction, dolnot constitute a portion of the present 1 invention and a detail description thereof is l deemed unnecessary.

The cross bar and the swingletree are arranged within a substantially U shaped brace 6, consisting of upper and lower arms 7 and 8 and a connecting rear portion, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The upper and lower arms 7 and 8 are spaced a part to receive the swingletree and the cross bar. The lower arm 8 fits against the lower face of the cross bar, and the upper arm is provided at its lower face with a depending integral collar or sleeve 9, which spaces the u per arm of the brace from the swingletree. T 1e washer 10 is preferably interposed between the lower end of the spacing collar or sleeve and the upper face of the swingletree to prevent the latter from being worn by the former This construction permits the nut 11 of the bolt to be screwed tightly against the lower face of the lower arm of the brace, and it enables the pivotal connection between the swingletree and the cross bar to be screwed as tight as that of an ordinary swingletree.

When the wear or hearing plates become worn, the wear or bearing plate of the swingletree is held firmly against the wear or hearing plate of the cross bar by means of a bowed spring 12, having a central enlarged portion and provided therein with an opening 13 to receive the spacing collar or sleeve. The spacing collar or sleeve asses through the opening 13 and the centra portion of the spring bears against the lower face of the upper arm 7 of the brace. The ends of the spring are received within seats or recesses 14 of keepers 15, consisting of plates or pieces, provided with spaced upwardly extending flanges 16. The keepers, which may be stamped, or otherwise formed from a single piece of sheet metal, are secured by suitable fastening devices 17 to the upper face of the swingletree at opposite sides of the pivot bolt, and the ends 18 of the spring are reduced and provided with straight side edges to fit between the projecting flanges 16 of the keepers. The keepers maintain the sprin in proper position with relation to the swing etree and prevent any displacement of the spring through the oscillation of the swingletree, and they also prevent the ends of the spring from marring the finish of the swingletree. A spring of any desired size and strength may be employed to suit the character of the vehicle on which it is to be used. The bolt, when screwed tight, presses the collar or sleeve 9 down on the swingletree and thus snugly holds it to the cross bar, while the spring bearing against the brace prevents the parts from rattling when Wear takes place. -By this arrangement, the nut of the bolt may be screwed as tight as desired without affecting the operation of the spring.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cross bar, and a whiffletree, of a bolt piercing the same, a brace having upper and lower arms extending across the upper face of the whifiletree and the lower face of the cross bar and secured to the same by the said bolt, a collar spacing the upper arm of the brace from the whiifletree and forming a rigid support for the said upper arm, and a spring interposed between the upper arm of the brace and the upper face of the whiffletree for holding the latter tightly against the cross bar.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cross bar, and a whiffletree, of a bolt piercing the san1e, a substantially U shaped brace having upper and lower arms extending across the lower face of the cross bar and the upper face of the whilfletree and provided with an integral depending-spacing collar interposed between the upper face of the whifietree and the up per arm of the brace and forming a rigid sup port for the said upper arm, and a bowed spring having a central opening to receive the collar and interposed between the upper portion of the brace and the upper face of the whiffletree.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with awhifiletree, and a cross bar, of a bolt piercing the same, a brace receiving the cross bar and the whiffletree,

rigid means for spacin the upper portion of the brace from the whifi'letree, a bowed spring located at the said spacing means and mterposed between the upper portion of the brace and the swingletree, and keepers mounted on the upper face of the whiffietree and provided with recesses receiving the ends of the spring.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a whiflletree, and a cross bar, of a bolt piercing the same, a brace receiving the cross bar and the Whiflletree, rigid means for spacing the upper portion of the brace from the whiffletree, a bowed spring located at the said spacing means and interposed between the upper portion of the brace and the swingletree, and spaced keepers mounted on the upper face of the whiffletree and provided with upwardly extending spaced flanges forming intervening recesses to receive the ends of the spring.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a cross bar, and a whifiletree, of a bolt piercing the same, a substantially U-shaped brace receiving the cross bar and the whiflletree and extending across the lower face of the former and the upper face of the latter and secured to the same by the bolt and provided at the top with a spacing collar interposed between the brace and the upper face of the whiffletree and forming a rigid support for the said brace, a bowed spring having a central opening to receive the collar and engaging the upper portion of the brace, and spaced keepers mounted on the upper face of the whiffietree at opposite sides of the brace and having upwardly projecting flanges spaced a art and forming recesses to receive the encs of the spring.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

I/VILLIAM MEHN.

Witnesses:

E. S. KING, H. H. BRANDES. 

